Sponsored by the American School Counselor Association, National School Counseling Week, (NSCW)Â highlights the tremendous impact that school counselors have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. It is always celebrated during the first full week in February.
HCPS takes this week to honor, celebrate, and thank the 35 school counselors within our District who play pivotal and skilled roles in supporting students from kindergarten through high school.
Each day we are featuring one of our school counselors as they share a few timely and relevant topics: mental health, student attendance, crisis, and this year’s NSCW theme, “School Counselors: Helping Students Dream Big.”
Crisis with Annie Sunday, a school counselor at Apple Valley Middle School:
How do preventative measures and having an effective protocol in place serve as important interventions to keeping students feeling and being safe in school?
“It starts with our teachers. They are the “front line workers” that communicate and interact with our students daily. They work diligently to build positive, strong relationships with each student and in doing that create a safe space for students to communicate openly about their lives. Also, as part of our Leader in Me implementation, students have a built-in check-in time each morning with their homeroom teacher. During this time, teachers have discussions with students and ask if there are any barriers to their daily success at school. If teachers have concerns, they reach out to the student support team (including a counselor) who will follow up with the student to see if any additional resources or services are needed or could be helpful.”
What are some of the tools that counselors, teachers, or parents could use to help students cope with emotions following a crisis or traumatic event?
“It is important to have a team during and after a crisis or traumatic event. Henderson County Public School’s crisis response team has been vital in responding to crises across the county. They provide additional counseling support to students and staff and also provide resources as needed to students and parents. Many helpful resources regarding crisis response can be found at National Association of School Psychologists. Parents are also always encouraged to reach out to their student(s) School Counselor if they have concerns or questions regarding the well being of their child.”
